The 20 most iconic butlers from the TV world

Thomas Barrow is one of the most fascinating, and contradictory, characters on Downton Abbey. Though he begins as a villain, he slowly changes, particularly as the series dives more deeply into his fraught identity and life as a gay man in early 20th century England. In the end, he ultimately steps into the position of butler once Mr. Carson decides to retire. It’s the apex of his career and, though he has not always had the best interests of the Crawley family at heart, by the end of the series he has nevertheless managed to forge a special relationship with Lady Mary.

In addition to playing Mr. Bean, Rowan Atkinson is arguably best-known for portraying the various Blackadder characters in the series of the same name. Of all of them, the Regency Edmund Blackadder paradoxically seems to have more agency than the rest, especially since he ends up being a butler (due in large part to some family misfortunes), in this case to none other than Prince George (later George IV). In a fantastic little twist, he actually ends up being king himself, which gives him the distinction of being one of the most powerful butlers in TV history.

It takes a pretty extraordinary type of person to be a butler to someone like Archer, but Woodhouse more than delivers. Given just how much abuse he suffers at his employer’s hands, it’s really nothing short of remarkable that he puts up with it for so long. Like all of the best TV butlers, he also has a rather remarkable backstory, including service in World War I. His death also has to be one of the most amusing of any butler in the history of TV, since he ends up dying of a heroin overdose. 

Smithers of The Simpsons is many things, and though butler isn’t technically one of his positions, he essentially fulfills this purpose for his boss, Mr. Burns. Smithers has an absolute devotion to his employer, and it’s frequently implied that he is actually in love with him (as strange as that may sound, considering Burns’ desiccated appearance and generally reprehensible behavior). Inimitably voiced by Harry Shearer, he has managed to ingratiate himself into the minds and hearts of Simpsons fans everywhere, so it’s easy to see why he remains a beloved part of the show.

Red Dwarf is the perfect British blend of comedy and science fiction, and it’s easy to see why it has gathered a cult following since its release in the 1980s and 1990s. One of the most beloved characters is the butler robot Kryten, played first by David Ross and then by Robert Llewellyn. Among other things, Kryten is notable for being remarkably resourceful and independent, proving that being a very good butler–with all that that entails–isn’t something that’s restricted to humanity.

Technically Higgins in Magnum, P.I. is an estate manager but, in all of the ways that matter, he’s a butler by another name. As uptight and fussy as one would expect a British butler to be, Higgins is often the voice of reason, particularly when it comes to the various scrapes in which Magnum manages to land himself with distressing frequency. Likewise, as with so many other notable butlers in the realm of TV, there’s often a lot more to Higgins than meets the eye. 

Joseph Anders appears in both the original iteration of Dynasty as well as the 2017 incarnation, in both cases serving the wealthy oil tycoon Blake Carrington. In both cases he is steadfastly loyal to both Carrington himself and the family as a whole. Though he is very much a key part of the drama in the original show, he’s much more active in the second version, and Alan Dale gives a truly remarkable performance in the role, making him one of the few standouts in the reboot.

Benson is one of those remarkable TV characters who actually straddled two different characters. His small screen life began on the soap opera series Soap before getting his own show that actually bears his name. Robert Guillame is perfectly cast as Benson, and he was more than capable of delivering a wisecrack. He was obviously very funny in Soap, in his own show he really gets his chance to shine as a character, and Guillame more than delivers, growing and developing as the series progresses.

Mr. Belvedere, like so many other TV butlers, is quintessentially English, which marks him out from the American family who employs him. Nevertheless, like many other TV butlers, he ends up exerting a very positive influence on the Owens family. Christopher Hewett gives a remarkably nuanced performance, and he becomes just the sort of butler and family confidante that many 1980s kids wished that they could have in their own homes. Moreover, Mr. Belvedere helps the family contend with some heavy issues, including HIV (no small thing for a show produced in the ‘80s).

Even though Fran Drescher’s Fran Fine might be the major focus of the sitcom The Nanny, one of the notable side characters in the series is Niles, the butler. Like the best of TV butlers, he has a waspish tongue and a certain condescending attitude. He reserves most of his most scathing comments for his nemesis–and eventual love interest–C.C. Babcock, and some of the series’ funniest moments revolve around their ever-present and quite vitriolic rivalry. When it comes to sitcom butlers, they don’t come much funnier, or quippier, than Niles.

Few TV butlers have been as enduring as Alfred Pennyworth in the Batman universe. He is as central to the franchise as Batman himself, and he is a valuable support system for Bruce Wayne and his superhero alter ego. He’s been played by a remarkable range of actors in both live-action and animated series, including Alan Napier in Batman, Sean Pertwee in Gotham, Jack Bannon in Pennyworth, and many others. No matter his guise or who plays him, he is steadfastly loyal to his employer and is one of the few sources of stability in his life.  

Downton Abbey is filled with characters who act and feel like real people. One of the most beloved of these is the butler, Carson, who is as devoted to the fortunes and well-being of the Crawley family as anyone. Indeed, he is a constant voice of conservatism, often encouraging the other members of the staff to remember their place. Despite his rather stern exterior, however, he has a good heart and a softer side, and his romance with Mrs. Hughes in particular gives him the personal happiness he has so long put aside.

The aptly-named Geoffrey Butler of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is in many ways the stereotype of a sitcom butler. He tends to take a rather condescending attitude toward Will, at least when he first arrives, and he also isn’t afraid to offer ironic commentary on the foibles of the rest of the family, either. That being said and, say what one will about his tendency to take a few liberties here and there, he was for the most part scrupulously correct when it came to the running of the Banks household.

Ducktales remains one of the most beloved animated shows from the 1980s. While Scrooge and his nephews occupy the lion’s share of the stories, they’d probably be lost without loyal butler Duckworth, who is as loyal and competent as one could desire in a butler (which is fortunate, considering the scrapes that Scrooge and his nephews manage to get into throughout the series). He also makes a number of notable appearances in the rebooted version of the series, though in his later iteration he is actually dead and has been brought back as a ghost.

The quirky and macabre Addams Family have delighted audiences in the various media in which they have appeared, but arguably their most notable appearance was in the 1960s TV series that bore their name. One of the most notable members of the household is the towering butler, Lurch, whose stentorian tones are encapsulated with his phrase, “You rang” is one of those characters who is instantly recognizable. His gloomy countenance and seemingly unflappable demeanor makes him the perfect addition to this very strange and uncanny family.

Hart to Hart, much like The Thin Man series of films, focuses on a wealthy couple and their crime-solving exploits. Of course, they wouldn’t be able to flit around doing all of that solving if it weren’t for the tireless and loyal presence of their butler, Max. Portrayed by Lional Stander, he’s the type of butler who remains loyal to his employers through thick and thin, even (or especially) when the going is particularly tough. No matter what scrapes they manage to get into, they know they can count on Max.

Tony Danza gives one of the most memorable performances of his career in Who’s the Boss, in which he portrays Tony Micelli, a baseball player who ends up becoming a housekeeper for a high-powered female ad executive. The series expertly plays with gendered expectations and, despite his macho persona, Tony is a good father and, eventually, a decent butler figure. It certainly helps that Danza is a charismatic actor, and it’s impossible for even the most jaundiced viewer not to fall for his charming smile. 

Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie are perfectly matched in Jeeves and Wooster, in which they play, respectively, valet Jeeves and wealthy young man Bertie Wooster. Jeeves is, much like his counterpart in P.G. Wodehouse’s original novels, both very competent and very loyal, which allows him to help out his employer and his friends, who seem to always manage to land themselves in all sorts of scrapes. It also helps that Jeeves is played by Stephen Fry, who has always been effortlessly charming and charismatic. 

Family Affair was a charming sitcom from the 1960s and early 1970s, starring Brian Keith as a single man trying to raise his young nieces and nephew. Fortunately for him, he’s aided in this regard by his English butler, Mr. French. Sebastian Cabot gives a quintessentially English performance as Mr. French (John Williams plays his brother in several episodes), and he’s exactly what one would expect of a butler of this sort. Though he might be a bit cold and distant at times, he develops a special fondness for the children under his care and together they forge their own new sort of family.

Upstairs, Downstairs, like the subsequent Downton Abbey, is a richly-told costume drama focusing on an aristocratic family and their servants. Angus Hudson, portrayed by Gordon Jackson, is one of the key characters and acts as the butler of the household. Also much like Mr. Carson, the butler of Downton, Hudson is a staunch believer in the old ways and in the established order and, in addition to his loyalty to the Bellamys, he is also for the most part a kind and sensible member of the household staff.